What Has Congress Done For One Rank One Pension?

However, Union Minister VK Singh today questioned the Congress, stating that those who have failed to implement OROP for 40 years should not politicise the issue.

&nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspTimes Now

Major politics have erupted over the suicide of an ex-serviceman after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was detained outside RML Hospital in Delhi, where he had arrived to meet the deceased’s family on Wednesday. 70-year-old Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide over the issue of One Rank One Pension scheme or OROP at Jantar Mantar, police said on Wednesday.

However, Union Minister VK Singh today questioned the Congress, stating that those who have failed to implement OROP for 40 years should not politicise the issue.

Here's why Congress' outcry is not valid.

1973: Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi terminated OROP for veterans in an ex-parte decision, the legal definition of which implies that it was taken to favour only one party.

1986: Indira Gandhi’s son and Former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, in another move, had implemented rank pay for army officers. However, the section disapproved it as it affected their basic pay and designation.

2002: Congress President Sonia Gandhi had advocated the OROP demand at a rally in Chandigarh. However, despite being in power for the next 12 years, the Congress dilly-dallied on the implementation of the scheme.

2004: The Congress, in its manifesto, had mentioned that the issue of OROP will be scrutinised and a solution will be obtained. As a part of the UPA I and the UPA II government, the Congress could not implement their manifesto promise. Keeping this in mind, Rahul Gandhi cannot question the Modi government over the non-implementation of OROP using the "election manifesto" argument.

2008: Following resent, the UPA government replaced rank pay with apex OROP, which proved to be a further setback for the veterans. Also, in a written reply to Kalraj Mishra, the then Defence Minister AK Antony had said that the Government has not found Ex-Servicemen’s demand for OROP as acceptable.

2011: The Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee submitted a report to the UPA government on OROP. But the UPA government had said that there were ‘administrative, financial and legal complications in implementation of the OROP scheme.’

2012: The UPA government approved OROP but declared that it will not set aside Rs 2,300 Crore.

2014: OROP however, was not implemented while the UPA allocated only Rs 500 crore in its last budget. Last year, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the NDA Government was blocking the provisions which the-then UPA Government had made for the implementation of OROP.

What Has Congress Done For One Rank One Pension?Description:However, Union Minister VK Singh today questioned the Congress, stating that those who have failed to implement OROP for 40 years should not politicise the issue.Times Now